Resisting Officer in Broward County, Florida
1,556 cases (2025) · Broward County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Broward County handled 1,556 resisting officer cases with an unusually permissive approach to adjudication withholding. Nearly 40 percent of cases resulted in withheld adjudication—more than double the statewide average of 14.7 percent. This outcome means defendants in these cases avoid conviction on their records despite findings of guilt. Broward's dismissal rate of 5.3 percent also exceeds the statewide average of 2.1 percent, suggesting the county's prosecutors or judiciary are less likely to push these cases to guilty verdicts than their counterparts elsewhere in Florida.
Sentences in Broward reflected this more lenient outcome distribution. The median sentence was 103 days, and 31.4 percent of defendants received jail time, with only 2.4 percent serving prison. The average probation period stretched to 746 days, indicating that even when confinement occurred, court supervision rather than incarceration was the primary sanction.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Resisting Officer charge in Broward County makes it in front of a judge. Of 10,257 prosecutor decisions on Resisting Officer charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 27.6% — in line with the 26.5% statewide rate. These decisions happen early in a case, before trial.
Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney case data (2023-2025). Rates are per charge, not per defendant — a dropped charge often reflects a plea agreement on another charge in the same case, not the case going away. Percentages are of charges receiving a prosecution decision; transfers between courts are excluded. Court outcome data on this page is a separate dataset covering cases that reached disposition. Statewide charging patterns: The Florida Prosecution Report.
Outcome Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 52.6% of 1,556 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,556 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Sentencing Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2025)
Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).
| Confinement Type | Count | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 1,274 | 5.2 months |
| State Prison Facility | 88 | 3.8 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Resisting Officer sentencing in Broward County.
Demographics (2025)
Demographic data reflects systemic patterns in the criminal justice system and should not be used to draw conclusions about any racial or ethnic group. Disparities may reflect differences in policing, prosecution, and socioeconomic factors rather than actual crime rates.
| Race | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 1,046 | 57.1% | 4.9% |
| Not Available | 498 | 43.4% | 6.4% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,186 | 51.2% | 1.3% | 6.9 months |
| 2024 | 1,576 | 51.9% | 2.5% | 6.6 months |
| 2025 | 1,556 | 52.6% | 5.3% | 9.7 months |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 3,890 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 388 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 15 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 13 |
| Felony | First Degree | 10 |
| Felony | Life | 2 |
Related Charges in Broward County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 6,520 | 22.1% | 1.7% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,161 | 62.6% | 1.7% |
| Drug Possession | 2,012 | 54.5% | 12.2% |
| Trespassing | 1,337 | 55.9% | 4.7% |
| Other | 1,326 | 32.6% | 32.9% |
| Battery | 823 | 53.9% | 8.3% |
| Fraud | 976 | 55.2% | 3.3% |
| DUI | 839 | 81.0% | 2.7% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Resisting Officer in Broward County?
The guilty rate is 52.6% based on 1,556 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Resisting Officer in Broward County?
Adjudication is withheld in 39.3% of cases (2025). This is a Florida-specific outcome where the court finds guilt but does not formally convict, allowing the defendant to avoid a conviction record under FL Statute 948.01.
What is the average sentence for Resisting Officer in Broward County?
The average sentence is 9.7 months (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
0.0% of defendants use a public defender, while 0.0% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Resisting Officer in Broward County, Florida (2025). Based on 1,556 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/resisting-officer/broward
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Broward County. "Guilty" includes all cases where the defendant was found guilty. "Adjudication withheld" is a Florida-specific disposition where guilt is found but the court withholds formal adjudication under FL Statute 948.01. "Dismissed" includes all cases dismissed by the court or prosecution.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,556 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com